Complete autorefractor system in an ultra-compact package

ABSTRACT

An autorefractor system in an ultra-compact package is described for rapidly and objectively measuring the refractive state of the eye. The autorefractor detector system, in conjunction with a secondary light source, uses one photodetector such as a charge coupled device (“CCD”) or one photodiode, to intercept a light beam at two distances from a secondary retinal light source created by one relay lens, one pupil emitter conjugate lens and one pupil detector conjugate lens, as well as a field lens. The signals produced by the photodetector are used to determine the full spherocylindrical refraction of the eye. A novel illumination and imaging system provides multiple capabilities to image the eye, control accommodation, and acquire and maintain optical alignment, while obtaining other measurements of the eye.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser.No. 10/207,412, filed Jul. 26, 2002, of like title, which application inturn claims priority from Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.60/309,288 filed on Aug. 2, 2001.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to optical instruments for measuring refractionof the eye and of lenses and specifically to an instrument for rapidobjective refraction.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Machines to automatically and objectively measure the optics of the eyeare essential for eye care, yet these machines, called “autorefractors,”are of limited use. Complexity and high price limit the use of theseessential machines to perhaps less than 1% of the world's peoples.

Complexity and high prices also means these machines are used mostly inthe advanced, industrial nations. Even in these rich nations, however,large populations are not reached. This includes patients of familyphysicians, children treated by pediatricians, and students in schools.Family physicians, pediatricians, and schools are unable to afford thehigh prices of these complex machines.

Most affected are children. In the U.S. an estimated one out of every 20preschool children has a vision problem, which, if undetected anduncorrected, will affect the child's education and development. Anotherproblem is amblyopia (“dull eye”). Vision in one eye is suppressed, and,if untreated, the child becomes blind in that eye. An estimated 3% ofchildren in the U.S. have amblyopia. Amblyopia must be detected andtreated at an early age to prevent blindness.

Adults are affected, too. Much of the world has limited eye care. Inlarge parts of the world many people are vision impaired. Some arealmost blind. For many their problem is simply poor refractive vision.The solution is autorefraction and corrective lenses. Our autorefractorprovides a way to help solve these vision problems, such that peoplewith poor refractive vision can be restored to useful, productive lives.

Conventional autorefractors typically measure how light rays are bent or“refracted.” Another method (Yancey, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,329,322 and5,684,561) used measurement of intensity of light. Yancey, however,neither described a method nor showed an embodiment for achieving fullrefraction of the eye. Full refraction is “spherocylindrical” and inaddition to sphere correction must also include cylinder and axismeasurements. Yancey describes a method of “foci”, which requires atleast three lenses (a pupil lens and two other lenses acting as smalltelescopes) to look at areas (“foci”) in different areas of the eye.Yancey requires at least two detectors, and these two detectors mustoperate in at least two independent optical paths.

To be practical, an autorefractor must have a means of opticallyaligning the optics of the instrument with the optics of the eye.Additionally, where the eye is looking and focused must be controlled.Where the eye is looking and focused refers to “accommodation.”Accommodation refers to compression and change in the eye lens so as tofocus on a nearby object. Conventionally, refraction requires that theeye be looking at a distant target. This target is usually at a standarddistance of 20 feet (or five meters). Accommodation, focusing on anearby object, would cause refraction of the eye to be in error.Therefore, accommodation must be controlled.

Conventional stand-mounted autorefractors typically use a series ofsensors and motors to acquire the eye. Another system of sensors andmotors is used for fine optical alignment. Still another, third, systemof optics and motors is used to control where the eye is looking andfocused. These systems are complex, bulky, and expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Our invention is designed to provide hitherto unavailable eye care tolarge populations in vast geographic regions. Additionally, ourinvention, unlike others, is ultra-compact and easy to use. Our handheldautorefractor is about the size of a standard ophthalmoscope and usedsimilarly. Anyone who can use an ophthalmoscope will find our inventionexceedingly easy to use.

Our invention is a complete autorefractor system in an ultra-compactpackage. Unique methods and embodiments enable our autorefractor torapidly and objectively measure the refractive state of the eye. Theautorefractor detector system, in conjunction with a secondary lightsource, uses one photodetector such as a charge coupled device (“CCD”)or one photodiode, to detect changes in a light beam at two distancesfrom a second retinal image created by one relay lens and one pupilconjugate lens. The signals produced by the photodetector are used todetermine the full spherocylindrical refraction of the eye. A novelillumination and imaging system provides multiple capabilities to imagethe eye, control accommodation, and acquire and maintain opticalalignment, while obtaining other measurements of the eye.

Various embodiments use static light, or spatially modulated light, tomeasure the refraction of distinct areas of the eye as well asrefraction of meridians to obtain spherocylindrical measurement. Analternative embodiment employs only one low-cost photodiode in thedetector path.

Our method creates a retinal light source, which is analyzed atdifferent distances using a very simple system of only two lenses andone detector. Creating a second retinal image requires one relay lenswhich forms the first retinal image, and one pupil conjugate lens whichforms the second retinal image. That is, the detector requires a totalof only two lenses. After creation of the second retinal image themethod then intercepts and measures areas of the second retinal imagebeam intensity at different distances from the second retinal image. Ourmethod requires only one detector. Moreover, the detector path requiresonly one relay lens and only one pupil conjugate lens, which operatetogether in a single path formed by the relay lens and the pupilconjugate lens.

It is essential that any practical autorefractor measure thespherocylindrical refraction of the eye. Our invention fully describesunique methods and embodiment to obtain full, spherocylindricalrefraction of the eye. The prior art system of Yancey does not. As thereader will appreciate, other differences and additional advantages ofour method and embodiment will become apparent in this description ofour complete autorefractor system in an ultra-compact package.

The system also allows measuring curvature of the cornea (the cornea isthe outer, clear covering of the eye), i.e., keratometry. To incorporatea keratometer means simply adding light sources to be reflected from thecornea so that changes in the positions of the reflected light sourcescan be detected and measured. This is a standard technique well known inthe art. With appropriate lenses, substituted for the simple lens shown,the retina and other structures of the eye can be imaged.

The system also preferably incorporates a field lens to compensate forthe fact that light returning from the eye focuses at the midpointbetween the detector planes only in the special case where there is norefractive error R of the eye, i.e., where R=0. Where R 0 the focusplane is not equidistant from the two detector planes and the beamdiameters are different at the two detector planes. This means that asthe refractive error changes the signals generated by the detectors willvary asymmetrically instead of in a linear manner. Incorporation of thefield lens at the zero refractive error plane is critical to causerefractive error changes to be equal in each detector plane and the rateof change at the two detectors will be equal.

The device of the invention also preferably includes at least one of afront and a back side pivoting screen cover, each of which when closedcovers the screen on the respective side. The two covers may be hingedin parallel at opposite sides of the device, or they may be hinged atdifferent locations on the device and disposed at different angles toeach other. The device also incorporates spacing means to insure thatall patients' eyes are positioned at the same distance from the deviceso that all refraction data obtained are comparable across the patientpopulation and definitive norms can be established to which data fromtesting a specific patient can be compared to evaluate the patient's eyeproperties.

Therefore, in one embodiment the invention is directed to apparatus forobtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye comprising a primaryemitter of a light beam having one emitter pupil conjugate lens and onerelay lens to form a secondary retinal light source from the light beamon the eye's retina; a photodetector comprising a light detector formeasurement of at least a first retinal image and a second retinal imageof the secondary retina light source as observed by the photodetectorrespectively at distal and proximal positions relative to the secondaryretinal light source and generation of signals proportional to themeasured images, and computation means responsive to the signals forcalculating the spherocylinder measurement of the eye. In furtherembodiments the apparatus is further defined by the photodetectorcomprising a detector pupil conjugate lens and/or a beam splitter and amirror assembly.

In yet another embodiment the invention is directed to a method forobtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye comprising creating anoptical light path by causing a primary emitter of a light beam havingone emitter pupil conjugate lens and one relay lens to form a secondaryretinal light source from the light beam on the eye's retina; disposinga photodetector comprising a light detector in the optical light pathfor measurement of at least a first retinal image and a second retinalimage of the secondary retina light source as observed by thephotodetector respectively at distal and proximal positions relative tothe secondary retinal light source and generation of signalsproportional to the measured images, and calculating from the signalsthe spherocylinder measurement of the eye. In further embodiments theoptical properties of the eye modify and direct light rays in theoptical light path such that the luminous irradiance comprising pixelsimpinging on the photodetector varies in response to the opticalproperties of the eye and/or the method further comprises from themeasurement determining a correct prescription for the adjustment of theeye to emmetropic vision.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, closely related figures have the same number butdifferent alphabetic suffixes.

FIGS. 1A-1C show the preferred embodiment with the main opticalcomponents and layout of the complete autorefractor system.

FIG. 2 shows the detector system, comprising a relay lens, a pupilconjugate lens, a beam splitter with mirror assembly and one CCDdetector.

FIG. 3 shows the emitter system, partly unfolded, comprising an emitter,an emitter pupil conjugate lens, and a relay lens.

FIG. 4 shows one embodiment illustrating a relay lens forming a firstretinal image and a pupil conjugate lens forming second retinal images,which are detected at near and far points from the second retinalimages.

FIG. 5A shows the preferred embodiment of a detector system illustratingone relay lens forming a first retinal image and one pupil conjugatelens forming second retinal images, and a single CCD detector; FIG. 5Bshows a solid embodiment of a detector system pupil conjugate lens witha single CCD detector to obtain information about refractive error; FIG.5C shows the view on the detector system CCD face and FIG. 5D shows aview of the CCD detector face for determining beam diameter.

FIG. 6A shows a view on the detector system CCD face illustrating nearand far beam cross sections with rows of individual pixels representingmeridians and FIG. 6B shows the geometry created by utilizing rows ofindividual pixels to obtain meridional power in various meridians.

FIG. 7 shows the preferred solid-path optics of the completeautorefractor system, comprising five optically transparent blocks.

FIGS. 8A-8G show color LCD screens, each screen displaying prompts andguide marks to assist in easy step-by-step operation, that is, intuitiveuse.

FIGS. 9A-9C show a second preferred embodiment, which is a distinctlydifferent refractor system comprising an eye, optics, emitter, anddetector.

FIGS. 10A-10D show a third preferred embodiment, a distinctly differentand unique embodiment, which comprises the eye, optics, emitter withspatially modulated light, fixed and staggered opaque meridians, andsingle photo diode detector.

FIGS. 11A-11C show details of one embodiment of a spatial lightmodulator, which comprises a rotating aperture and rotor-positionsensing optoelectronics.

FIGS. 12A-12B show details of an alternate spatial light modulatoremploying in a single assembly LEDs that alternately illuminate in aserial manner while maintaining overall constant illumination.

FIGS. 13A-13B show two schematic representations of the optical path ofan autorefractor of this invention, the first with a CCD and the secondwith a CCD and a rotating slit mechanism.

FIGS. 14A-14D show respectively representative autorefractors of thepresent invention from the back, front (14B and 14C) and side, the backviews being partial views. The views represent different embodiments ofthe autorefractor and are not all to the same scale.

FIG. 15 illustrates schematically the optical path of an automaticcalibration system for an autorefractor of the present invention.

FIGS. 16A-16B illustrate two embodiments of the optical path of lightthrough a rotating Dove prism, in each case with a side view to the leftand an end view to the right. FIG. 16A illustrates generation of lightfrom a laser diode, while FIG. 16B illustrates generation of light withthrough a cylinder lens with a slit aperture.

FIG. 17 illustrates schematically four different refraction formats inwhich an autorefractor of the present invention can operate, in contrastto the single format operation of conventional refraction devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Our invention uses a simple yet novel embodiment for optical alignment.This novel embodiment also controls where the eye is looking andfocused. In conjunction with sources to illuminate the eye and a CCD toimage the eye, the basic embodiment comprises one lens and one beamsplitter. This simple system provides multiple capabilities.

First, our illumination and imaging system provides a fixation target.The fixation target, at infinity, is looked at, “fixated,” by thepatient. On an LCD screen the system simultaneously images the eye tofacilitate locating and acquiring the eye. A series of color prompts andguide marks on the LCD make alignment easy. Using the LCD screen, theoperator simply moves an illuminated square into the center of a fixedilluminated circle. Reflections from the cornea of the eye are sensed bythe CCD imager. These reflections are caused by the refractor emitterand by the fixation target. The reflections are made to coincide by asimple beam steering plate to achieve fine alignment automatically. Theoperator need only make the initial alignment to within a fewmillimeters. Because the image of the eye on the LCD is enlarged abouttwo times, alignment is easily achieved even by inexperienced operators.

The system of illumination includes three LEDs illuminated in sequence,about one-thirtieth of a second each. The LEDs are red, green, and blue.A fourth LED, invisible infrared (IR) light, is for supplementalillumination of the eye. The three color LEDs, red, green, blue, providefull-color illumination of the exterior of the eye. The IR LED providesnon-visible illumination for dim lighting conditions.

For full color imaging of the fundus (back) of the eye only two colorsare required, red and green. The fundus does not reflect blue. Ourmethod and embodiment is a low-cost way to achieve full color with amonochrome CCD because color-emitting LEDs illuminated sequentially areused. Moreover, compared to single-chip color CCDs, resolution is higherbecause the monochrome CCD does not use color masks as are employed incolor CCDs. Further, compared to a conventional high resolutionthree-chip color CCD, our full-color single chip is more compact.

In conjunction with keratometer and refractive measurements, structuresof the eye and features on the retina such as the optic disc can bedimensioned. Such dimensions mean retinal images can be scaled to size.Scaling to size enables one-to-one comparison with otherwise disparateretinal images. Using a library of retinal images, or standardized data,one-to-one comparison facilitates image analysis. Consequently, thisfacilitates diagnosis of eye disease.

With the simple lens, the exterior of the eye can be imaged and thepupil diameter can be measured and recorded. Whether the pupil is small(eye accommodating) or the pupil is large (eye not accommodating),determines which refractive measurements are used or not used. Thisimproves measurement accuracy. An additional benefit of measuring pupilresponse is neurological. For example, using light stimuli and observingthe presence or absence of pupil response assists in diagnosis of tumorsand head trauma.

The fixation target can be varied in focus for standard fogging of theeye, and then put into focus for myopic or hyperopic eyes for additionalrefractive measurements. Instead of using the fixation target to controlaccommodation, an illuminated pinhole can be projected into the pupil ofthe eye. This illuminated pinhole immediately causes relaxation of theeye lens.

The capabilities of the illumination and imaging system enable moreaccurate refraction of the eye. These capabilities include 1) fixationtarget, variable in optical focus, 2) illuminated pinhole target, 3)measurement of pupil size (a pupillometer), 4) imaging of eye forinitial alignment, 5) corneal reflections sensor for auto finealignment, 6) determine vertex distance, 7) measure curvature of cornea(keratometry), 8) image external and internal structures of the eye forimage analysis and to assist disease diagnosis, and 9) full-colorimaging of the eye with a low-cost monochrome CCD.

Because our method requires only a minimal number of parts, our completeautorefractor is aptly characterized by its simplicity. Entirely selfcontained and battery powered, all components fit in an ultra-compactpackage. Components include electronics and optoelectronics. Signalprocessing is relatively low cost. The major cost is the optics. Ourinvention uses solid˜path optics. This means the optics are integratedas a solid block of glass, or plastic, with air surfaces acting toreflect and refract light. Instead of imaging, our invention mostly usesillumination. This decreases the need for precision alignment andsuper-flat surfaces. Further, the non-critical nature of our solid-pathoptics facilitates mass manufacturing and cuts cost.

Moreover, path length is reduced by the reciprocal of the index ofrefraction. For an index of refraction of 1.6, optical path length isshortened by about 40%. Shortening the optical path reduces the alreadycompact dimensions of our autorefractor. Solid-path optics, therefore,results in greater simplicity and lower cost.

Turning then to the drawings, FIGS. 1A-1C show the first preferredembodiment of the complete autorefractor system, illustrating opticallayout and components. This includes illumination, control ofaccommodation, initial manual alignment using a color LCD, automaticfine tracking of the eye, and the refraction unit itself. Theautorefractor system of FIG. 1A may be divided into four main sections.These sections are 1) illumination and control, 2) refractor unit, 3)solid-path optics, and 4) color LCD. These four sections operatetogether as a system. Using the principles described in thesespecifications, one skilled in the art can use a commonly availableoptics design program such as those commercially available under thetrade names “ZEMAX” or “SIGMA 2000” to determine dimensions andplacement of optics. Such dimensions and placement of optics depend onfocal lengths of the relay lens and conjugate pupil lenses.

For purpose of illustration only, typical relay lens and conjugate lensare described here. The refractor may use focal lengths for a relay lensof 24 mm and conjugate pupil lens of 12 mm. Relay and conjugate lenses,such as Edmund Scientific Stock Nos. L45-471 and L32-965, respectively,are commercially available. Other lenses with different focal lengthsmay be used as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

In our invention as in other optical instruments for imaging and formeasuring light intensities, reflections from lenses and other surfacesmust be carefully controlled. Black mirrors, at 45° angles, are used toreflect unwanted light from beam splitters onto a black matte surface.These black mirrors, fabricated from black Lucite, attenuate unwantedlight. Residual light in the system may be zeroed out electronically.Reflections from the cornea of the eye may be suppressed by circularpolarizers or by opaque discs. Opaque discs, 1 mm in diameter, can beused to block paraxial reflections from the cornea and eye lens. Theseopaque discs are centered in 3.0 mm diameter stops. The 3.0 mm diameterstops are standard stops placed in front of refractor lenses, that is,on the side of the lens facing the eye being refracted.

In FIG. 1A, eye 11 is illuminated by LEDs 12, which eye image 13 appearson color LCD 14. Eye 11 sees target 15, set at optical infinity by lens16 and illuminated by LED 17. Illumination by LED 17 through target 15reflected by beam splitter 18 and focused at optical infinity by lens16, is directed by mirror 19 along optical paths 20, 21 through movablebeam splitter 22 to cornea 23. Illumination by LED 17 on cornea 23produces a reflection, a first Purkinje image 24. Illumination is shownby light rays 38 b transmitted through beam splitter 38 a.

Image 24 is returned along optical paths 20, 22, and 25, reflected bymirror 26 into eye imager CCD 27. Distances of optical paths 21, 22, areused to select lens 16 so that the first Purkinje image 24 is properlyin focus on CCD 27. Image 24 detected by CCD 27 is converted by softwareto a movable illuminated square 28, which is centered on image 24. Wheneye 11 is stationary, square 28 is moved to the inside of fixedilluminated circle 29. Square 28 is moved by simply moving theinstrument itself. Note that square 28 and circle 29 may be superimposedover a full-color or black-white image of eye image 13.

A second First Purkinje image 36 is generated by emitter 30 and emitterconjugate lens 31 along optical path 32, beam splitter 33, relay lens34, beam splitter 22, along optical path 21, and on to cornea 23. Outputof emitter 30 impinging on cornea 23 causes a second First Purkinjeimage 36. This second image 36 is similar to image 24, except thatimages 24 and 36 are temporally interleaved.

Image 36 is similarly detected in the manner of image 24 by CCD 27.Electronics and software compare the positions of images 36 and 27, thatis, compare the positions of images 24, 36 on CCD 27, and then sendelectronic signals to an X-Y beam steerer 35 and, optionally, 22, causeimages 27 and 36 to coincide. In this case, “images 27 and 36 tocoincide” means that the optics of the instrument are aligned with theoptics of an eye being refracted. Beam steerer plate 35 is a plate ofglass, about 6 mm in thickness, that is tilted in the X-axis to causethe optical path to change in a parallel manner, that is, steered in theplus or minus X-direction depending on how much the plate is tilted offperpendicular to the optical path. Similarly, by tilting the plate inthe Y-axis, the optical path is thereby changed so that an impingingbeam is accordingly steered in a plus or minus Y-direction. One platemay be used, or two separate plates at 90° orientation to each other,for X- and Y-axes, may be used. Plate 35 is used to track the eye andinsure precision alignment of the invention's optics with the optics ofthe eye.

Target 15 may be moved to change optical focus of target 15 on cornea23, and lens 16 may also be moved to change optical focus of target 15on cornea 23. The resulting “in” and “out” of focus images, includingeye image 13, detected by CCD 27 are used to determine vertex distance,that is, distance from instrument optics to an eye being refracted. Thishelps ensure that an eye being refracted is within proper measurementdistance. This system is relatively insensitive to changes in vertexdistance, which facilitates easy operation. Note, too, that eye image23, enlarged about two times actual size, helps bring the instrumentinto proper vertex range intuitively. Moreover, fixed illuminationcircle 29 is approximately the size of an eye's cornea/iris, whichfurther facilitates proper vertex distance location as well as initialmanual alignment.

Target 15 can be moved in order to present to eye 11 a plus dioptertarget. A plus diopter target, known as “fogging,” helps controlaccommodation. Generator 37 employs beam splitter 38 a to place anilluminated pinhole in pupil 38. Alternately, illuminated pinholegenerator 37 can be employed to relax accommodation. Eye imager CCD 27also monitors and records diameter of pupil 38. Smaller diameters ofpupil 38 indicated accommodation, while larger diameters of pupil 38indicate relaxation of accommodation. Emitter 30 and emitter pupilconjugate lens 31 via optical path 32, as previously described,generates a First Purkinje Image. The primary purpose of emitter 30 andlens 31 is to put a spot of light, a secondary light source 39, on theretina of eye 11. The light from this secondary light source 39 exitsthe eye through eye lens 40 via optical path 21, reflected by beamsplitter 22 through beam steerer plate 35 to relay lens 34, and alongoptical path 41, forming a first retinal image 50, and then to detectorpupil conjugate lens 42. Lens 42 forms second retinal images 52,53, in“front” and “behind” (or “above” and “below”) detector plane 43 of CCDdetector 48. CCD detector 48 then produces signals used to determinefull spherocylindrical refraction of an eye 11. Accelerometer 49 detectsand measures inclination of autorefractor system (FIG. 1A) with respectto eye 11, assuming that eye 11 is in a vertical, normal position.Signals from accelerometer 49 indicate amount of “tilt” of theautorefractor system of FIG. 1A from a vertical, normal position, andprovides a corrective factor for “axis” measurement.

Another preferred embodiment uses a spatially modulated light sourcewith a bandpass filter for the detector signals in order to eliminateunwanted light and extraneous signals.

As an example of this invention being operated as a system, beam steererplate 35 is controlled by first section and associated electronics, butplate 35 is also part of second section refractor unit: Beam steererplate 35 controls fine alignment for accurate refractive measurements. Asecond example, the first section eye imager CCD 27 images the eye fordisplay on color LCD 14.

The second section is the refractor unit. This comprises an emitter unitand a detector unit. This emitter unit mainly comprises an emitter 30,emitter pupil conjugate lens 31 and beam splitter 33. The emitter, incommon with the detector path, uses relay lens 34 and beam steerer plate35. Relay lens 34 forms first retinal image 50. The second sectiondetector unit can be seen to comprise relay lens 34, detector conjugatepupil lens 42, beam splitter 44, mirrors 45, 46, 47, and CCD detector48. Lens 42 generates second retinal images 52 and 53, with near beam 51and far beam 54 shown in detector plane 43. A separate part isaccelerometer 49. Accelerometer 49 provides a corrective factor ofinstrument inclination for axis measurements.

The third section is solid path optics. Autorefractor optics may besolid-path configuration. In FIG. 1A only part of the autorefractor isshown configured in solid-path optics. Solid-path optics is illustratedby blocks 47 a and 47 b. Block 47 a combines detector conjugate pupillens 42, beam splitter 44, and mirrors 45, 46, and 47 into one piece.This one piece, block 47 a, may be produced by various means, includinginjection molded plastic. Block 47 b, not strictly necessary, combineswith block 47 a to complete an optical path.

The fourth section is the color LCD. Color LCD 14 shows image of anacquired eye, enlarged about two times, eye image 13, and First PurkinjeImages 24, 36. Images 24 and 36 are reflections from cornea 23 of eye11. Superimposed on eye image 13 is movable illuminated square 28 insidefixed illuminated circle 29.

FIG. 1B shows movable illuminated square 28 and fixed illuminated circle29 and corneal reflection 24 in viewing circle 14. Alternatively, if oneconsiders only fixed circle 29 of FIG. 1B, then for manual alignment theeye 11 (FIG. 1A), or some part of the eye, can be moved into circle 29.Moving the eye into circle 29 means moving the instrument so that theeye, or some structure of the eye, is moved into circle 29 to manuallyalign the instrument's optics with the optics of the eye. In FIG. 1B,therefore, the eye is represented by moveable square 28, and moveablesquare 28, superimposed on a view of the eye, is generated by detectinga corneal reflection on CCD 27 of FIG. 1A, and software generates anilluminated square that is centered on square 28. Manually moving theinstrument to cause eye 11 with square 28 to move into circle 29therefore aligns the instrument optics with the optics of the eye.

FIG. 2 shows the preferred detector path embodiment, also showing eye11, secondary light source 39, eye lens 40, optical path 21, and movablebeam splitter 22. This embodiment mainly comprises two lenses, relaylens 34 and detector pupil conjugate lens 42. These two lenses operatetogether in single optical path 41. Relay lens 34 forms a first retinalimage 50, and pupil conjugate lens 42, in conjunction with beam splitter44 and mirrors 45, 56, 47, forms second retinal images 52, 53. FIG. 2shows secondary light source 39, which is a spot of light on retina ofeye 11. Second light source 39 exits eye 11 through eye lens 40 viaoptical path 21, reflected by beam splitter 22, through relay lens 34,along optical path 41, forming first retinal image 50, and thenimpinging on detector pupil conjugate lens 42. Lens 42, in conjunctionwith beam splitter 44 and mirrors 45, 46, 47, forms second retinalimages 52, 53. Detector CCD 48 detects a cross section of near beam 51and similarly detects a cross section of far beam 54. Cross sections ofbeams 51,53, fall onto same detector plane 43 of single detector CCD 48.Signals of CCD 48 are used to determine spherocylindrical refraction ofeye 11.

FIG. 3 shows the preferred embodiment of the emitter path, partlyunfolded. Emitter 30, which may be an LED or other source of lightemissions, in conjunction with emitter conjugate pupil lens 31 and relaylens 34, via optical path 41 and beam splitter 22 forms a secondarylight source 39 on retina of eye 11. The Figure also illustrates anarrow beam source 30 a, which may be a laser diode, which is focusedthrough lenses 168 and 169 collimate light from emitter 30 a to projecta second optical path 170 toward the eye 11. Optical path 170 isparallel to optical path 21 and offset from the optical center of eye 11to prevent corneal reflection back into the source 30 a.

FIG. 4 shows one embodiment of the detector path. Secondary light source39 on retina of eye 11 exits through eye lens 40 and via beam splitter22 along optical path 41 to impinge on relay lens 34, creating firstretinal image 50, and further impinging on detector pupil conjugate lens42, which creates, via beam splitter 44, second retinal images 52, 53.Near detector 56 is located a distance t 58 from second retinal image52, and far detector 55 is located a distance t 57 from second retinalimage 53. In this Figure, distances t 57 and t 58 are shown as identicaldistances, although they can be the same or different distances. For theanalyses presented herein t 57 and t 58 will be considered to be thesame number of units of distance. It can be shown that if the distanceof the detectors 55 and 56 from the second retinal image is equal and ofvalue t (distance t 57, t 58), the difference of the two detectorsignals divided by their sum is equal to a function of mean refractiveerror M and the product of the maximum error times the minimum error K.(S ₁ −S ₂)/(S ₁ +S ₂)=2tM/(1+2tK)  [1]This is roughly proportional to the mean error but gives no informationabout the astigmatic error.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D show embodiments of the detector path whichparticularly relate to a solid-path device, FIG. 5B, and a CCD detector,FIGS. 5C-5D. In FIG. 5A, secondary light source 39 on retina of eye 11exits eye 11, via beam splitter 22, and impinges on relay lens 34. Relaylens 34 forms a first retinal image 50, and then pupil conjugate lens42, in conjunction with beam splitter 44 and mirrors 45, 46, 47, formssecond retinal images 52 and 53. Second retinal images 52 and 53 fall adistance t 57 in “front” and the same distance t 57 “behind” CCDdetector plane 43 of CCD detector 48. Dimensions of the device can bemade so that second retinal images are located a known distance t 57from detector plane 43 of detector 48. FIG. 5B shows monolithic block 59with CCD detector 48. Block 59 incorporates pupil conjugate lens 42 andoptics to produce second retinal images 52, 53. Fabricated separatelyand then adhered together to form monolithic block 59 are lens 42 andother components, beam splitter 44, and mirrors 45,46,47, described inFIG. 5A. Note that monolithic block 59 may be fabricated of, say, fiveseparate pieces such as a lens, prisms and a cube. Block 59 may also befabricated using only two separate pieces, blocks 47 a, 47 b, shown inFIG. 1A. Also shown are locations of second retinal images 52 shownoutside block 59, and second retinal image 53 shown inside block 59.Detector CCD 48 is shown attached to block 59. FIG. 5C shows CCDdetector face 60. Face 60 shows far beam diameter 61 overfillingrepresentative pixel 62, and near beam diameter 63 overfillingrepresentative pixel 64. FIG. 5D shows CCD detector face 60 and beamdiameter 61 and 63. Diameters 61 and 63 are shown coinciding forillustrative purposes only. Representative center pixel 60 a is thecenter of beam diameters 61,63. Pixel 60 a may be determined empiricallysimply by using a model eye that is aligned with the optics andrepresentative pixels row 60 b. Then row 60 b contains center pixel 60a. Representative inside pixel 61 a and representative outside pixel 61b are used to determine beam diameters. That is, inside pixel 61 a willhave a higher intensity than outside pixel 61 b. By comparing pixel 61 aand 61 b intensities, say, that 61 a is a detectable level abovebackground noise of pixel 61 b, beam diameters 61 and 63 may bemeasured. Beam diameters 61,63, are then used in calculations to obtainrefractions of meridians.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show embodiments of the detector path that obtaininformation for determining sphere, cylinder, and axis measurements ofan eye and to obtain refraction of meridians. FIG. 6A shows CCD detectorface 60 and cross sections of near beam 67 and far beam 68. Rows ofindividual pixels 65, 66, represent parallel meridians through thecenters of cross sections of beams 67, 68, respectively. FIG. 6B shows anew geometry created by the analysis of FIG. 6A. FIG. 6B shows detectorpupil conjugate lens 70 forming second retinal image 69, near beamB_(near) 71, far beam B_(far) 72, zero power plane 73 with distances t74 and t 75, cross section size of pixels p 76, p 77 (both pixels, p 76,p 77, for this analysis are defined as having the same cross sectionsize), distance (1/−F_(m)) 78, distance (1+(1/F_(m))) 79 and distance(1−(1/F_(m))) 80. If we add rows of pixels 65, 66, parallel to oneanother, in each beam 67, 68, on CCD detector face 60, we sensitize thesignal to meridional power in the refractive error. The amount of energygoing through the two beam cross sections 67, 68, is equal. So if weadded up all pixel values in beams 67, 68, the sums would be equal. Butin a row of pixels, the dimensions of the row at right angle to itslength is overfilled and so the difference in pixel value is sensitiveto power in that direction. However, along the length of the row, thebeam underfills the area and so is not sensitive to power in the longdirection. Therefore, if we sum along two parallel diameters and callthe sums Sigma₁ and Sigma₂, we find that(Sigma ₁ −Sigma ₂)/(Sigma ₁ +Sigma ₂)=1/(tF _(meridian))  [2]F_(meridian) is the power in the meridian at right angles to the row. Wehave essentially created a new geometry. In FIG. 6B a new geometry isillustrated. FIG. 6B shows second retinal image 69 created by detectorpupil conjugate lens 70, near beam B_(near) 71, far beam B_(far) 72,zero power plane 73 with distances t 74 and t 75, cross section size ofa pixel p 76, p 77, distance (1/−F_(m)) 78, distance (1+(1/F_(m))) 79,and distance (1−(1/F_(m))) 80. By right triangles:B _(near) /B _(far)=(t−(1/F _(m)))/(t+(1/F _(m))=(tF _(m)−1)/(tF_(m)+1)  [3]Sigma ₁ =p/B _(near)  [4]Sigma ₂ =p/B _(far)  [5](Sigma ₁ −Sigma ₂)/(Sigma ₁ +Sigma ₂)=((p/B _(near))−(p/B _(far)))/((p/B_(near))+(p/B _(far)))=((1−(B _(near) /B _(far)))/((1+B _(near) /B_(far)))=(1-((tF _(m)−1)/tF _(m)+1)))/(1+((tF _(m)−1)/tF _(m)+1)))  [6]and(Sigma ₁ −Sigma ₂)/(Sigma ₁ +Sigma ₂)=2/2tF _(m)=1/tF _(m)  [7]By adding parallel pixel rows in different orientations to form sumsSigma₁(theta), Sigma₂(theta), the meridional power in various meridians,F(theta), can be found. At least three meridians are needed to obtainsphere, cylinder, and axis, but more can be taken for improved accuracythrough multiple samples.

FIG. 7 shows a solid-path optics embodiment of the correspondingautorefractor system shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 7 shows eye imager block 81with mirror 86; illumination control block 82 with beam splitters 87,88, mirror 89, and imaging lens 90; emitter block 83 with beam splitter91, relay lens 92, and emitter pupil conjugate lens 93; first detectorblock 84, with detector pupil conjugate lens 94, beam splitter 95, andmirrors 96, 97, 98; and second detector block 85. Mounts 99 foroptoelectronics components such as LEDs and CCDs, with standoff andthreaded holes, may be integrally molded into the individual blocks.Individual blocks 81, 82, 83, 84, 85 are joined together into onemonolithic block. The blocks are placed in a jig, optically aligned witheach other, and then, using an adhesive, fixed into place.

Arrow 100 shows location of alternate or supplemental illumination andoptics. In this case, mirror 89 becomes a beam splitter. Alternate orsupplemental illumination and optics may include a CCD eye camera andillumination. This may also include accommodation control optics,illuminated targets for determining curvature of the cornea, andpupillometer.

The solid-path configuration shown, which might be described as a“Stretched S” or a “Zig-zag S”, can be re-configured to other shapes.For example, blocks 81,82,83, and 84 and 85, may be rotated,re-arranged, and modified in numerous ways. One purpose to re-configurethe arrangement shown in FIG. 7 may be to make the optics conform to adesirable instrument housing shape. Another purpose may be to addmeasurement functions. For example, by taking care to appropriatelymodify related optical components, block 81 or any one or more of otherblocks 82,83,84 and 85, may be rotated, say, 90 degrees or 180 degrees,with respect to other blocks. Another example, an additional beamsplitter can be inserted parallel to existing beam splitter 88. Thisadditional beam splitter can be used for supplemental illumination orfor incorporating an additional function such as keratometry.

FIGS. 8A-8G show a series of color LCD screens with prompts and guidemarks in symbols, colors and text to facilitate easy, intuitive use ofthe autorefractor. Indicated colors are preferred colors acting asprompts. Color prompts show operation status such as “blue” for “on”,“green” for OK, and “red” for trouble. Prompts in “yellow” indicateaction to be taken. If low battery, or other problem, then in screen ofFIG. 8A appears, for example, “Low Battery” in red letters and redsymbols. In FIG. 8A, prompt “CAL” 101 indicates the autorefractor hasbeen switched “on.” If calibration and self test is normal, screen FIG.8B appears. In FIG. 8B, fixed illuminated circle 102 and prompt “Ready”indicate the instrument is properly working and ready to be used.

FIG. 8C shows that the operator has located the autorefractor in theproximity of an eye to be refracted. (An image of the eye beingrefracted ordinarily appears in screen FIG. 8C, omitted here forclarity.) With acquisition of an eye, an illuminated movable square 104appears. Square 104 is centered on a reflection from the eye, FirstPurkinje Image 105. As the autorefractor moves relative to the eye, sodoes square 104 move. Also shown is fixed illuminated circle 106. Uponacquisition of an eye, illuminated circle 106 changes color to becomeilluminated yellow. Yellow indicates that square 104 should be movedinside circle 106. Prompt “Move Square Inside Circle!” 107, alsoindicates action to take.

In FIG. 8D, movable square 104 has been moved inside fixed circle 106.Movable square 104 and fixed circle 106 now illuminate in green color,and brightly illuminate in a pulsed manner to indicate proper alignmentand that the eye is being refracted. Prompt “OK . . . ” 108 appears.This shows refraction is taking place. Because of an automatic eyetracking mechanism, as long as the autorefractor is located within a fewmillimeters of actual alignment, the instrument will continueautomatically aligned. Time for completion of a measurement is afraction of a second.

FIG. 8E shows an open-center large square 109 illuminated yellow andshimmering. This indicates, along with prompt “Close!” 110, that theautorefractor is too close to the eye and should be moved away from theeye. When the autorefractor is within the proper measurement distancefrom the eye, square 109 returns to its normal well-defined yellowlines, or, if located within fixed circle 106, to green illumination.

FIG. 8F shows a closed-center small square 111 illuminated yellow andshimmering. This indicates, along with prompt “Far!” 112, thatautorefractor is too far from the eye and should be moved closer. Whenthe autorefractor is within proper measurement distance from an eyebeing refracted, square 111 returns to its normal well-defined yellowlines, or, if located within fixed circle 106 of FIG. 8D, to greenillumination.

FIG. 8G shows prompt “Refraction” 113. Refractive measurement 114(represented by marks) appears above prompt “Refraction” 113. At thetouch of a switch, refractive measurement 114 is downloaded forprinting, storage, or processing to prescription form. This allowsaccurate and speedy transmission of a prescription for corrective lensesand spectacles to an optical company.

A number of factors contribute to intuitive use. A first factorcontributing to intuitive use, movable illuminated square 84 does notappear until the eye being acquired is within proper measurement range.The proper measurement range is relatively wide and somewhat insensitiveto changes in vertex distance. This helps to initially acquire an eye. Asecond factor contributing to intuitive use, the image of an eye beingrefracted appears in screens 8C-D, and 8E-F, with illuminated guidemarks superimposed. (For clarity, image of an eye being refracted isomitted.) An eye is enlarged a little over two times, comfortablyfitting onto LCD screens FIGS. 8C-D. This helps to initially locate theinstrument. A third factor contributing to intuitive use, the dimensionsof movable square 104 and fixed circle 106 are approximately the size ofan eye's iris as imaged on LCD screens FIGS. 8C-D. This further helps tolocate the instrument in an intuitive manner. A fourth factorcontributing to intuitive use, the objective of moving square 104 insidecircle 106 is easily and intuitively understood. This, along with anautomatic eye tracker for fine alignment adjustment, makes forexceedingly easy use.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show another preferred embodiment. This preferredembodiment differs from the first preferred embodiment in that thisembodiment uses a simplified straight-line optical path. This embodimentalso uses a plurality of optic fibers employed as staggered meridionalphotodetectors. In FIG. 9A, secondary source 39 on retina of eye 11 isgenerated by emitter 30 and lenses 31,34, via optical paths 32,41, and21. Secondary source 39 exits through eye lens 40. Also shown are beamsplitters 22, 33 and lens 42, meridional blockers 115 and 116, fiberoptics bundles 115 a and 117, and amplifiers 114. Additionally shown arefirst retinal image 50 and secondary retinal image 52. FIG. 9B showsnear beam meridional plate 115 with representative meridian 119.Representative optic fiber 120 is one of a plurality of fibersdistributed along meridian 119. FIG. 9B also shows far beam meridionalplate 116 with representative meridian 119 a and representative opticfiber 121. A minimum of three meridians are required to obtain fullrefractive measurements, as is well known to those skilled in the art.Representative optic fiber 120 is one of a plurality of fibersdistributed along meridian 119. Meridians are equally spaced. Also shownare far beam meridional plate 116 with representative meridian 119 a andrepresentative optic fiber 121. Meridians of plates 115 and 116 areequally spaced and the meridians of each plate are staggered withrespect to each other. Plates 115 and 116 may be fabricated of glass,plastic, or otherwise designed in a manner so that optic fibers aredistributed along meridians as illustrated herein for the purposes ofintercepting light energy along each meridian or each half meridian.Because meridians are staggered, measurements are interpolated formeridians intermediate to the staggered meridians. Light energyintensities so detected and measured enable calculation of fullrefraction of the eye.

FIGS. 10A-10D show yet another preferred embodiment. This preferredembodiment uses a simplified straight-line optical path, but thisembodiment differs from the others in that it employs a spatial lightmodulator of constant illumination. Also, this embodiment, unlike thosedescribed earlier, instead of directly detecting changes in lightintensities, detects diminution in light intensities. Diminution inlight intensities is caused by opaque meridional blockers in the nearbeam path and in the far beam path. Further, diminution in light isdetected by a single low-cost photodiode detector.

Spatial modulation is achieved by rotating a slot of light, pie-shaped,so that the rotating slot of light is imaged on the retina not as apoint of light but as a rotating slot of light in the emmetropic eye.Spatial modulation may also be achieved by other means such as amicromirror or by alternately illuminating an array of emitters.Distance of a relay lens from an emitter pupil conjugate lens is fixedso that the slot of light is maximally in focus on the retina of anemmetropic eye. The rotating slot of light becomes the secondary sourceof light. Therefore, when blocker meridians coincide with the secondarysource of light reflected from an eye, the reflected light is blockedfrom reaching a photodetector and the photodetector detects a minimum oflight. Similarly, when blocker meridians are non-coincidental with therotating slot of light of the secondary source because the slot of lighthas rotated to an angle where the blockers present an open space, then amaximum of light is detected by a photodetector.

It can be seen that the amount of light detected by a photodetector isdependent on the optical state of an eye, an emmetropic eye (normalvision) presenting the most contrast in light reflected out of the eye,and hyperopic and myopic eyes presenting different states, that is, thefirst retinal image as well as the second retinal image are accordinglyshifted either nearer or farther away from a relay lens according towhether the eye is hyperopic (far sighted), emmetropic (normal) ormyopic (near sighted). Therefore, blockers at two different distancesdetect differing amounts of light blocked and detected so thatrefractive states in various meridians are detected. These differingamounts of light correspond to S₁ and S₂ of previous embodiments. Inthis embodiment the first retinal image can be employed in place of thesecond retinal image, eliminated the detector pupil conjugate lens.

Frequency of detected light and frequency of signals from photodetector133 depend on rotational speed of the slot of light. If the rotationalspeed is fixed, then the frequency of detected signals is fixed, and abandpass filter 134 can be employed to pass only the desired signals ofthe fixed frequency and block all other signals.

In FIG. 10A, emitter 30 and emitter conjugate lens 31 via optical paths32 and 21, using beam splitters 33 and 22, produce a secondary lightsource 122 on retina of eye 11. Secondary light source 122 exits eye 11through eye lens 40 via optical path 21 and directed by beam splitter 34to relay lens 34. Relay lens 34 produces first retinal image 50 andthen, along optical path 41, impinges on detector conjugate lens 42,which produces second retinal image 52. Emitter 30 is mounted intransparent block 123 with rotor 124 mounted via axis 125 in block 123and lens 31. Fiber optics plate 126 and representative optic fiber 127sense position of rotor 124. Solid path optics 128 incorporates lens 42,near beam meridional blocker 129 and far beam meridional blocker 130.Blockers 129 and 130 are connected and aligned by axis rod 131. Rod 131is preferably 1 mm (0.04 in) or less in diameter. Emitter 30 and rotor124 via beam splitters 33 and 22, employing lenses 31,34, produce asecondary light source 122 on eye 11. Secondary light source 122 isreturned from the eye via beam splitter 22 and along optical paths 21and 41 through relay lens 34 and beam splitter 33. Relay lens 34produces first retinal image 50. Detector pupil conjugate lens 42 thenproduces second retinal image 52. The light 132 a is collected by lightguide funnel 132 and directed onto a low-noise sensitive photodetector133 such as the TAOS TSL 255 or TAOS TSL 257. Blockers 129 and 130 canbe supported on their edges to eliminate rod 131. In a solid design,blockers 129 and 130 could be affixed to the block above of below. Asshown in FIGS. 10A and 10D, rod 131 is used in the optional case ofrotating the blockers and insures that both blockers rotate togetherequally.

The varying light 132 a is caused by a spatial light modulator, that is,in this embodiment, the rotating light source of emitter 30 and rotor124 being blocked in varying amounts. The amount blocked by any onemeridian of blockers 129, 130, depends on position of retinal image 52.That is, the refraction of eye 11 corresponds to position of rotor 124and corresponding meridians of blockers 129, 130. Bandpass filter 134detects only spatially modulated light from eye 11 created by a emitter30 and rotor 124. Continuous light from the cornea and other non-varyingsources is blocked. It can be seen that varying amounts of light 132 areused to detect intensities of light 122 from eye 11 so that meridionalrefractive powers can be calculated. Then, using these meridionalrefractive powers, measurements for full refraction of eye 11 can becalculated using, for example, Laurance's formula. Laurance's formula,well known to those skilled in the art, isM(Θ)=C·sin²(Θ)  [8]where M(Θ) is the meridional power, in diopters, of a cylindrical lensof power C diopters measured at a meridian Θ degrees away from the axisof the cylinder.

FIG. 10B shows blockers 129 and 130, aligned and connected by axis rod131. Representative meridian 135 is opaque to light. Transparent areas136 are transparent to light. Meridians 135 occupy a total of 90 degreesof the circular area represented by blockers 129 or 130. Blocker 130with transparent areas 138 has opaque representative meridians 137,which occupy 90 degrees. Meridians 137 of blockers 129, 130, are equallyspaced and staggered with respect to each other.

FIG. 10C shows alternative blockers 139 and 140 each with axis 131,transparent areas 141, and representative opaque half-meridians 142 and143. Light emitter source 30 for half-meridians requires a half-meridianrotating light source, that is, rotor 124 has an aperture representinghalf of one meridian. Alternative blockers 139 and 140 can besubstituted for blockers 129 and 130 respectively, as indicated by therelated reference numerals in FIG. 10A.

FIG. 10D shows an end view of blockers 129 and 130 connected by axis rod131. Frame 148 holds electromagnet 145, stop 149, and return spring 150.Magnetic lever 144 fixed to blockers 129,130 is moved by actuation ofelectromagnet 145. Motion of lever 144 is indicated by arrow 146.Corresponding meridional motion of blockers 129, 130 is indicated byarrow 147. Moving blockers 129, 130, by a distance of one meridianeliminates the need to interpolate meridional measurements. Moreover,instead of measurements for three meridians, a total of six meridiansare measured. Implementing the mechanism of FIG. 10D, however, doesrequire one additional rotation of rotor 124. An additional rotation ofrotor 124, however, requires only a fraction of a second.

In FIGS. 10A-10D, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art,the a preferred embodiment can be implemented in numerous ways. Forexample, only one meridional blocker might be used, located at secondretinal image 52, and emitter source moved plus and minus diopters.Similarly, arrangement of components can be changed to achieve the sameresults. Assumed throughout is that standard design practices such asemploying stops, suppressing unwanted light, and so forth, beimplemented in the actual embodiment. The embodiment described herein ismeant as an example for illustrative purposes.

FIGS. 11A-11C show details of rotor 124 and rotor 124 position sensingelements. In FIG. 11A rotor 124 rotates around axis rod 131 as shown byarrow 151. Apertures 152 are width of one meridian 155. Representativemagnets 154 and electromagnetic coils 153 cause rotor 124 to rotate.Rotor position holes 156 indicate position of meridional apertures 152.It is understood that emitter light impinges over the whole of rotor124, including holes 156. FIG. 11-B shows a vertical view of rotor 124,axis rod 131, and optics fiber frame 126. Also shown is representativeoptic fiber 157. In FIG. 11-C, a plan view shows frame 126 andrepresentative fiber holes 160. Fiber holes 160 are arranged inmeridional fashion, that is, equally spaced and corresponding topositions of each meridian being measured. Representative fiber 157senses light only when rotor 124 and rotor position holes are aligned.In FIG. 11-C, rotor position sensing amplifier 158 provides positionsensing pulses to electronics 159 that provides timed pulses to drivingcoils 153, shown in FIG. 11A. Thus rotor 124 can be driven at a constantspeed so that light 132 a is of predetermine frequency to be passed bybandpass filter 134 yet blocking continuous light and all otherfrequencies.

FIG. 12A shows an alternative method of providing a varying lightsource. The embodiment of FIG. 12A comprises twelve emitter for sixmeridians. Representative light emitters 162 are arranged on circularmount 161 to provide illumination in series as indicated by arrows 163.FIG. 12B shows six emitters. This is shown by representative emitters165 on mount 164. Emitters 165 illuminate one by one in a serial manneras indicated by arrows 166. The emitters 162 preferably turn on-off in amanner that results in unwanted continuous light being blocked, whilethe desired meridional signals are of a varying nature. One way to turnon and off emitters is in an overlapping saw-tooth manner. The overalllight remains constant and continuous, while the desired meridionalsignal light varies according to the refraction of an eye beingrefracted. Thus one provides a spatially modulated light of constantillumination, yet use no moving parts. Having no moving parts has theadvantage of simplicity and increased reliability. Care must be taken,of course, when fabricating the emitters in one integrated unit.Illumination can be in an overlapping sawtooth manner so that overalllight illumination remains constant throughout the measurement cycle.

As noted above, a field lens incorporated into the system is criticalfor compensation for and elimination of generation of asymmetrical beamprojections on the detector planes and the resulting non-linearvariation in signals from the detectors as different eyes with differentrefractive errors are examined. Only if the detectors operate in alinear manner can different refractive errors be measured on equivalentbases and their values compared in a consistent and meaningful manner.Different embodiments on the use of a field lens in the system areillustrated in FIGS. 13A and 13B. In FIG. 13A light generated by emitter207 passes through emitter conjugate lens 208 and along beam path 209 tobeam splitter 206, from which it is directed along beams paths 205, 203and 201 into eye 11 where a secondary light source 39 is created on theretina. Light returning from secondary source 39 passed through the eyelens 40 and iris 23 and returns along beam path 201 and is reflected at202 to path 203 and though relay lens 204, along path 205 through beamsplitter 206, path 210, detector lens 211 and path 222 to beam splitter212, where it is divided with one portion moving along paths 214, 217and 218 (and reflected at 215) and the other portion along path 219 tocharge coupled device (CCD) 220, which is mounted on substrate 221 andis divided into a “far” detector region 223 and a “near” detector region224. Field lens 216 is placed in the path 217/218 segment of the formerpath and can be selected for power and located such that for differentrefractive errors of different eyes 11, so the beam dimensions reachingCCD 220 and regions 223 and 224 respectively through paths 218 and 219become symmetrical for each eye tested, and vary linearly in parallel asdifferent eyes of different refractive errors are tested.

FIG. 13B shows an alternative embodiment to that of FIG. 13A, in which arotating slit device 232 is placed in beam path 231 of the emitted lightfrom emitter 230, with the light beam then continuing on path 234 andreflected at 233 onto path 235 and then on as in FIG. 13A to project abeam onto the retina of eye 11. The rotor of the device 232 may be afull slit rotor or a half slit rotor. The rotating slit device may beplaced at other locations in the beam path, such as illustrated at 232′.The return light beam passes as in FIG. 13A to the splitter 212 andthence to “far” and “near” CCD detector regions 223 and 224, with the“far” beam passing through field lens 216 en route. The illustration inFIG. 13B of paths 235, 238 and 240, with reflections at 236, 237 and239, shows that the beam paths from splitter 212 to CCD 220 can varyconsiderably in length and direction, with the field lens 216 selectedfor power and located appropriately to provide symmetrical beamprojections for CCD 220. It will be noted that use of the CCD forfinding meridians does not require finding the edges of the light beam.The light beam projections on the CCD photodetector will underfill theCCD's active area, so that determination of the edges of the light beamsis not necessary. This is in contrast to prior art use of diodephotodetectors, where in the light beam overfills the detector activearea and determination of the beam edges is important.

The invention described in these pages is monocular, battery powered,and entirely self contained, about the size of a standardophthalmoscope, that is, pocket size. The basic refracting unit'scompact and lightweight nature makes possible a variety of instrumentssuch as a handheld binocular instrument. Such a binocular instrument canobtain refractions of both eyes and interpupillary distance (IPD) in oneprocedure. These three measurements are essential for prescribingcorrective lenses and spectacles. Such a binocular instrument, when inan embodiment of about 80 in³ (1310 cm³) in size, compact and handheld,is eight times more capacious than a monocular autorefractor (about 10in^(3 [)164 cm³]). Much of this space is available for new functions.This includes a fundus camera to obtain images of the eye as well aselectronics to analyze such images to aid disease detection anddiagnosis as well as for internet connections.

Illustrations of different views of representative embodiments of thepresent device are presented in FIGS. 14A, 14B, 14C and 14D. FIG. 14Ashows an embodiment of the back of the device 250 (i.e., the side of thedevice which faces the patient). The patient views differentconfigurations and patterns in a back screen 251; these variousconfigurations and patterns have been discussed above, e.g., withrespect to some of the included views of Figure groups 1, 5 and 8. Thelight beam also travels to and from the interior of the device 250 tothe patient's eye 11 through the small transparent window or lens 260present in the center of the screen 251. The screen 251 is preferablycoverable with an opaque cover or cap 252 which is hinged at 253 and canbe pivoted (as illustrated as 254 in FIG. 14B) to an open position withthe screen 251 exposed or to a closed position with the screen 251covered. In the closed position the cover 252 protects the screen 251from environmental damage, deterioration or accumulation of dirt, skinoils or similar deposits from the ambient atmosphere or from handling ofthe device when it is not being used for testing of patients. The cover252 and its associated hinge 253 can be placed at different positionsaround the upper portion 255 of the device 250, as illustrated at 252′.(Placement of the cover and hinge will be determined when the device isconstructed, and normally there will no facility for relocation of thecover thereafter by the user. However, it is contemplated that ifdesired one could construct the device 250 with a plurality of hinges253 of the type from which the cover 252 can be released and reattached,so that a user could remove the cover 252 from one hinge 253 and attachit to another of the plurality of hinges. Such an embodiment would alsocontemplate repeated relocations, including reuse of the first hinge 253as desired.)

Back cover 252 when opened to a horizontal position as illustrated at252′ in FIGS. 14D and 15 shields the patient's eyes from some ambientlight and can also serve as a brow guide. The device is held by the userand moved toward the patient until the extended cover 252 bears lightlyagainst the patient's forehead or brow (not shown) above the patient'seyes 11. This provides consistent positioning of the patent's eyes withrespect to the back screen 251 so that all patients' eyes areilluminated by the light beam at approximately the same beam path lengthfrom the back screen. The back cover 252 in position 252′ can be made ofa compressible material, or hinge 253 may be spring loaded or configuredto allow spring-loaded sliding of cover 252, so that the cover 252 restsfirmly against the patient's brow.

Two embodiments of the opposite (front) side of the device areillustrated in part in FIGS. 14B and 14C, and show the front screen 256on which the physician, optometrist or other optical evaluationprofessional user views the data resulting from the test and calculatedby the electronics of the device, as discussed above with respect to thedifferent views of FIGS. 8A-8G; note particularly FIGS. 8A and 8B forcalibration indicia and FIGS. 8C and 8D for square-and-circle-alignmentindicia. Conveniently the data are presented in separate parts of thescreen for right and left eyes of the patient, so the user can keeptrack of the measurements of each of the patient's eyes separately andcan compare these data easily. In FIG. 14C a second opaque cover 257 ispivotally attached to the upper portion 255 of the device 250 by hinge258, and protects the front screen 256 when closed in like manner to thecover 252 protecting back screen 251. Second cover 257 may also beplaced at different locations, such as is indicated by 257′ in FIG. 14A.Alternatively, in a preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 14B, thesecond cover can be mounted on a rotatable ring or bezel 261 which canrotate around the upper portion 255 of the device 250 as indicated byarrow 259, so that the cover 257 can be set at any desired positionaround portion 255 as indicated by examples 257″ and 257′″. Normally thearc of movement of bezel 261 will be 180° or slightly more around thetop half of the upper portion 255, as indicated by arrow 259, so thatpositions 257 and 257′″ are 180° apart laterally on the horizontal planeof the patient's eyes, and the cover can be moved between thesepositions to occlude the one of the patient's eyes which is not beingtested. Such occlusion prevents that “fellow” eye from dominating therefractive testing of the test eye, since the cover is essentiallyfeatureless and disposed sufficiently close to the fellow eye that thefellow eye cannot focus. It is preferred that the device circuitry besuch that opening of the front cover 257 also turns on the device andbegins the autocalibration. Additionally, when a optical professional isusing the device with a patient, the user is concentrating on themeasurement of the eye itself, and since the user cannot readily moveback from close inspection of the eye through the device to see the restof the patient's face for reference, there is a potential for the userto incorrectly identify which eye is being examined. In a preferredembodiment, therefore, the device circuitry can be designed such thatrotation of the front cover 257 to occlude the right or left eye whichis not being examined will cause illumination of a small indicatorletter respectively “L” or “R” (not shown) on the front screen 256 andvisible to the user, to indicate the eye which is being examined.

A two-step autocalibration system for the autorefractor of the presentinvention is illustrated in FIG. 15. In the first step, a light beam 270generated within the device passes through lens 271 along paths 272 and274 (with reflection at 273) and passes out through window 260 in screen252 along path 275 where it encounters reflector 277 mounted on theinside of cover 252 when the cover is in its closed position. Thereflected light beam passes along path 276 and is reflected at 278 ontopath 279 into light trap 280, where it is reflected at 285 to path 284and to black absorber 283. Use of light trap 280 allows electronically“zeroing out” residual stray light inside the instrument. In the secondstep, mirror 278 or a separate second mirror (278′) is moved to position278′ so that diopters calibration can be made. The combination ofsubstitutable lens 281 and moveable screen 282 is used to verify and, ifnecessary, electronically adjust diopters calibration. It is understoodthat mirror 277 can be mounted on cover 252 or a separate sliding cover(not shown). In any case, cover 252 is “locked” in the closed positionuntil auto calibration is completed.

It will be understood throughout this specification that the variousreflections of the light paths are illustrative only, and the structureof the device will determine where and to what degree a particular lightpath must be reflected to follow the appropriate route to workeffectively in the device. Thus in the schematic diagrams herein theillustration of a reflector at a particularly location is forconvenience in showing the light path in a compact and understandablemanner, and does not indicate that a reflector must be at that locationor that if there is reflection at that location that it must be at theparticular angle shown. On the other hand, other parts of the deviceincluding emitters, splitters, detectors, lenses, and so forth will belocated and traversed by the light beams in the order shown, althoughtheir actual locations in the device may vary as the routing of the beampaths vary.

Advantages are simplicity and extraordinarily low cost. This unique,affordable instrument will provide essential eye care to largepopulations in vast geographical regions. Thus one can summarizeadvantages as including methods to obtain full refraction spherocylindermeasurements; extreme simplicity of embodiment, with only a total ofonly four lenses, including the illumination and imaging section; aminimal number of components: Only two lenses for the detector path andonly one CCD detector; or only two lenses for the detector and only onephotodiode detector; being very simple to form a secondary light sourceon the retina; a field lens to make the detector beams symmetrical andinsure that measurements are linear; and use of a beam splitter toincorporate one emitter with one lens.

FIGS. 16A and 16B illustrate the use of a rotating Dove prism. Atrapezoidal Dove prism is one in which parallel incident light raysentering the hypotenuse face are reflected internally at that face andemerge parallel to their incident direction. One of the incident raysemerges along a continuation of its incident direction, and if the prismis rotated about that ray through some angle, the image rotates throughtwice that angle. FIG. 16A illustrates parallel light rays generated bya laser diode 300 and transmitted to the rotating Dove prism 301 toproduce a rotating light slit 302. FIG. 16B is a similar illustrationshowing a non-laser light source 300′ with a collimating cylinder lens303 to project parallel rays through Dove prism 301 to form light slit302. It is understood that apertures can be used in the collimatingcylinder lens or other lenses to change the size (width and length) ofthe light slit 302. The use of the Dove prism is much more efficientthan use of a slit mask to form the light slit, since the slit maskblocks most of the emitter's output. In contrast, the Dove prism forms alight slit without blocking any of the emitter's output, so the formedslit is significantly brighter.

Also significant is the use of solid-path optics with most of thediscrete optical components being integrated into one solid-path opticalblock, which eliminates many discrete components, boosts ruggedness,increases reliability, cuts weight, decreases size and reduces cost.Solid-path optics also means greater compactness. Optical path length isshortened by the reciprocal of the index of refraction. Using a materialwith an index of refraction of 1.6 means the optical path length isreduced by about 40%.

Use of a basic autorefractor provides complete spherocylindermeasurements, and also creates an instrument incorporating additionalcapabilities, such as keratometry and inclusion of a pupillometer andeye camera. The invention is of assistance to the user in diagnosing eyediseases. The pupillometer assists in diagnosing neurological conditionssuch as head trauma. Design of the instrument facilitates easyincorporation of a keratometer to measure curvature of the cornea.

The device of the invention is conveniently of pocket size, batterypowered, and entirely self-contained for high portability. It is easy touse: lightweight, small, and similar to use of a standardophthalmoscope.

Another example of the superior nature of the autorefractor of thepresent invention is illustrated in FIG. 17. In conventional refractionthe user relies solely upon a diopter sphere and a cylinder/axisconfiguration. In the present device, however, one can use thatconventional system with full meridians as in the far left diagram inFIG. 17; a half meridian system one order higher (second from left inthe Figure), which is particularly convenient for detection andmeasurement of “difficult to refract” patients, such as those withirregular astigmatism who require custom corrective lenses to improvetheir vision; a wave front analogue (second from right in the Figure) ora distinct refraction for each area (far right in the Figure). Thus theuser has numerous options to allow the most accurate refractive tests tomade of a patient, and can accommodate the different refractive errorsof patients to a much greater degree than has been possible withconventional prior art devices.

Although the description above contains many specifications, theseshould not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but asmerely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferredembodiments of our invention. For example, lenses may be of glass orplastic and may be of complex or simple design, arrangement ofcomponents and configurations may vary, etc. Thus the scope of theinvention should be determined by the appended claims and their legalequivalents, rather than by the examples given.

1. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye comprising: a primary emitter of a light beam having one emitter pupil conjugate lens and one relay lens to form a secondary retinal light source from said light beam on said eye's retina; a photodetector comprising a light detector for measurement of at least a first retinal image and a second retinal image of said secondary retina light source as observed by said photodetector respectively at distal and proximal positions relative to said secondary retinal light source and generation of signals proportional to the measured images, and computation means responsive to said signals for calculating said spherocylinder measurement of said eye.
 2. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 1, wherein said photodetector further comprises a detector pupil conjugate lens.
 3. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 1, wherein said photodetector further comprises a beam splitter and a mirror assembly.
 4. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 1 wherein said photodetector further comprises an array of light detectors spatially arranged to detect light at said distal position in various meridians of a far beam and an array of light detectors spatially arranged to detect light at said proximal position in various meridians of a near beam.
 5. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 4, further comprising said photodetector being positioned beyond the second retinal image in said far beam to detect diminutions of light in various meridians of said far beam and to detect diminutions of light in various meridians of the near beam, all elements of the detector system being in a straight-line optical path; said diminutions of light in various meridians of said far and near beams being caused by staggered opaque meridians; whereby in response to said diminutions of light said photodetector generates said signals for calculating said spherocylinder measurement of said eye.
 6. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 4 wherein said arrays of light detectors disposed in both said distal and proximal positions are arranged in rows such that light signals from parallel rows in the first and second retinal images may be summed and compared to find meridional power at right angles to the rows and further comprising there being a sufficient number of parallel rows at different angular orientations to allow the complete spherocylinder power of the eye to be determined.
 7. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 1, further comprising: said primary emitter being spatially modulated; said photo detector being positioned beyond the first retinal image in said far beam to detect diminutions of light in various meridians of said far beam and also to detect diminutions of light in various meridians of said near beam, all elements of the detector system being in a straight-line optical path; and said diminutions of light in various meridians in said far and near beams being caused by staggered opaque meridians; whereby in response to said diminutions of light said photodetector generates signals for calculating said spherocylinder measurement of said eye.
 8. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 1 further comprising: said lenses causing light beam from said emitter to be focused at optical infinity; said light beam being directed via said beam splitter to a cornea of said eye such that said cornea produces a reflection showing optical center of said eye; said reflection being returned to said lens and therethrough to said beam splitter directed to said photodetector, said photodetector located at such distance from said lens so that said reflection from said eye is in focus on said photodetector; whereby said signal generated in response thereto by said photodetector further indicates location of said reflection and said optical center of said eye thus facilitating alignment of said eye with optics of an optical instrument.
 9. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 1 wherein said photodetector comprises a CCD photodetector or a photodiode.
 10. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 1, wherein said primary emitter comprises a laser diode emitter producing a narrow beam in conjunction with a beam splitter, whereby sharpness of said secondary retinal light source on said retina is enhanced.
 11. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 5, further comprising said straight-line optical path comprising at least one block of transparent material employing air spaces, whereby reflection, transmission, and refraction of an impinging light beam is caused by appropriately shaped air spaces of said block.
 12. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 11, further comprising a plurality of blocks of transparent material fixed together to form a single composite block, whereby shaped interfaces at the junctions between adjacent blocks cause refraction of an incident light beam.
 13. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer to provide axis corrections for cylinder measurements.
 14. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 1, further comprising an illuminated pinhole cooperative with said emitter, beam splitters and lenses for locating the optical center of an eye, the whole forming a compact apparatus to track said optical center of said eye while causing relaxation of said eye's accommodation.
 15. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 9, further comprising at least two color emitters emitting light beams at different wavelengths from each other, said emitters illuminated alternately and said detector comprising a black and white CCD, whereby visible color imaging of an eye's retina can be achieved using said black and white CCD.
 16. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 15, wherein said at least two color emitters emit in the visible light spectrum with respective emitted light beams being of different wavelengths, said emitters illuminated alternately and said detector comprising a black and white CCD, whereby visible color imaging of an eye's retina can be achieved using said black and white CCD.
 17. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye of claim 16, wherein said at least two color emitters comprise three such emitters each emitting at different visible light wavelengths and illuminated alternately, whereby full color imaging of said eye's structure can be achieved using said black and white CCD.
 18. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 15 wherein said at least two color emitters comprise a plurality of said emitters emitting at infrared wavelengths such that said retina and other structures of said eye are imaged in infrared light.
 19. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 9, further comprising means for collection of light for said photodiode, said means comprising a cone-shaped optical guide, whereby said photodiode active area may be of small dimensions.
 20. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 4, wherein light sensitive elements of said arrays comprise light sensitive plates, said plates generating electrical signals when impinged on by a light beam.
 21. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 5, further comprising means for angularly rotating said opaque blockers, whereby the number of measured meridians is multiplied.
 22. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 7, wherein spatial modulation comprises dispositions of a rotating aperture, which said aperture is the rotor of a motor, in cooperation with said emitter.
 23. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 7, wherein spatial modulating comprises disposing multiple emitters illuminated sequentially, whereby modulation is achieved with no moving parts.
 24. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 7, wherein said detector of diminution of light comprises optical blockers disposed in a solid block of transparent material, whereby alignment of said blockers is fixed.
 25. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 24, wherein said optical blockers are arranged in a straight path, whereby the number of optical elements is minimized.
 26. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 8, wherein said optical instrument for facilitation of alignment of said eye comprises a screen to visibly show location of said optical center of said eye, said optical instrument further being manually moveable to achieve optical alignment between said eye and said instrument.
 27. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 26, wherein means for manually moving said instruments comprises a tiltable plate, whereby tilting of said plate allows steering of an emitter beam and provides optical alignment between said eye and said instrument.
 28. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 27, wherein said tiltable plate and said moveable beam splitter are disposed such that movement of said beam splitter in an axis parallel to beam direction and tilting of said plate in a second axis allows steering of an emitter beam in two axes and provides optical alignment between said eye and said instrument.
 29. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 26, wherein said screen on which said reflection from said eye visibly appears is formed a first geometric figure, which said first geometric figure can be fitted onto a second geometric figure also formed on said screen, whereby said second geometric figure represents the optical center of said optical instrument and said first geometric figure represents the optical center of said eye, and coincidence thereof on said screen indicates achievement of optical alignment between said eye and said instrument.
 30. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 26, wherein on said screen an image of said eye and an image of said reflection produced by said eye appear, and superimposition of said reflection from said eye on said image of said eye indicates achievement of optical alignment between said eye and said instrument.
 31. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 30, wherein a color geometric figure formed on said screen represents said reflection produced by said eye.
 32. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 30 further comprising indicia formed on said screen instructing a user how to move said instrument to obtain said superposition.
 33. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 30 further comprising geometric figures in motion on said screen indicate spatial location of said instrument.
 34. Apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising opaque means for occluding the vision of one eye of a patient during examination of said patient's other eye.
 35. Apparatus as in claim 34 wherein said opaque means comprising a moveable shield.
 36. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye comprising: creating an optical light path by causing a primary emitter of a light beam having one emitter pupil conjugate lens and one relay lens to form a secondary retinal light source from said light beam on said eye's retina; disposing a photodetector comprising a light detector in said optical light path for measurement of at least a first retinal image and a second retinal image of said secondary retina light source as observed by said photodetector respectively at distal and proximal positions relative to said secondary retinal light source and generation of signals proportional to the measured images, and calculating from said signals said spherocylinder measurement of said eye.
 37. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 36 wherein optical properties of said eye modify and direct light rays in said optical light path such that the luminous irradiance comprising pixels impinging on said photodetector varies in response to said optical properties of said eye.
 38. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 37 further comprising from said measurement determining a correct prescription for the adjustment of said eye to emmetropic vision.
 39. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurements of an eye as in claim 37 further comprising disposing in said optical path two photodetectors and wherein said optical properties of said eye modify and direct light rays in said optical light path such that the luminous irradiance comprising pixels impinging on said two photodetectors varies in response to said optical properties of said eye.
 40. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 39 further comprising from said measurement determining a correct prescription for the adjustment of said eye to emmetropic vision.
 41. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurements of an eye as in claim 37 further comprising disposing in said optical path a beam splitter and a mirror assembly and wherein said optical properties of said eye modify and direct light rays in said optical light path such that the luminous irradiance comprising pixels impinging on said photodetector varies in response to said optical properties of said eye.
 42. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 41 further comprising from said measurement determining a correct prescription for the adjustment of said eye to emmetropic vision.
 43. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 36 further comprising spatially modulating said light beam.
 44. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 43 further comprising from said measurement determining a correct prescription for the adjustment of said eye to emmetropic vision.
 45. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 36, further comprising disposing as part of said photodetector a detector pupil conjugate lens.
 46. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 36, further comprising disposing as part of said photodetector a beam splitter and a mirror assembly.
 47. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye comprising: a primary emitter of a light beam having one emitter pupil conjugate lens and one relay lens to form a secondary retinal light source from said light beam on said eye's retina; a photodetector comprising a light detector for measurement of at least a first retinal image and a second retinal image of said secondary retina light source as observed by said photodetector respectively at distal and proximal positions relative to said secondary retinal light source and generation of signals proportional to the measured images, a field lens; and computation means responsive to said signals for calculating said spherocylinder measurement of said eye.
 48. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 47, wherein said photodetector further comprises a detector pupil conjugate lens, a beam splitter and a mirror assembly, or an array of light detectors spatially arranged to detect light at said distal position in various meridians of a far beam and an array of light detectors spatially arranged to detect light at said proximal position in various meridians of a near beam.
 49. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 47, further comprising said photodetector being positioned beyond the second retinal image in said far beam to detect diminutions of light in various meridians of said far beam and to detect diminutions of light in various meridians of the near beam, all elements of the detector system being in a straight-line optical path; said diminutions of light in various meridians of said far and near beams being caused by staggered opaque meridians; whereby in response to said diminutions of light said photodetector generates said signals for calculating said spherocylinder measurement of said eye.
 50. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 48 wherein said arrays of light detectors disposed in both said distal and proximal positions are arranged in rows such that light signals from parallel rows in the first and second retinal images may be summed and compared to find meridional power at right angles to the rows and further comprising there being a sufficient number of parallel rows at different angular orientations to allow the complete spherocylinder power of the eye to be determined.
 51. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 47, further comprising: said primary emitter being spatially modulated; said photo detector being positioned beyond the first retinal image in said far beam to detect diminutions of light in various meridians of said far beam and also to detect diminutions of light in various meridians of said near beam, all elements of the detector system being in a straight-line optical path; and said diminutions of light in various meridians in said far and near beams being caused by staggered opaque meridians; whereby in response to said diminutions of light said photodetector generates signals for calculating said spherocylinder measurement of said eye.
 52. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 47 further comprising: said lenses causing light beam from said emitter to be focused at optical infinity; said light beam being directed via said beam splitter to a cornea of said eye such that said cornea produces a reflection showing optical center of said eye; said reflection being returned to said lens and therethrough to said beam splitter directed to said photodetector, said photodetector located at such distance from said lens so that said reflection from said eye is in focus on said photodetector; whereby said signal generated in response thereto by said photodetector further indicates location of said reflection and said optical center of said eye thus facilitating alignment of said eye with optics of an optical instrument.
 53. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 47 wherein said photodetector comprises a CCD photodetector or a photodiode.
 54. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 47, wherein said primary emitter comprises a laser diode emitter producing a narrow beam in conjunction with a beam splitter, whereby sharpness of said secondary retinal light source on said retina is enhanced.
 55. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 49, further comprising said straight-line optical path comprising at least one block of transparent material employing air spaces, whereby reflection, transmission, and refraction of an impinging light beam is caused by appropriately shaped air spaces of said block.
 56. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 55, further comprising a plurality of blocks of transparent material fixed together to form a single composite block, whereby shaped interfaces at the junctions between adjacent blocks cause refraction of an incident light beam.
 57. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 47, further comprising an accelerometer to provide axis corrections for cylinder measurements.
 58. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 47, further comprising an illuminated pinhole cooperative with said emitter, beam splitters and lenses for locating the optical center of an eye, the whole forming a compact apparatus to track said optical center of said eye while causing relaxation of said eye's accommodation.
 59. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 53, further comprising at least two color emitters emitting light beams at different wavelengths from each other, said emitters illuminated alternately and said detector comprising a black and white CCD, whereby visible color imaging of an eye's retina can be achieved using said black and white CCD.
 60. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 59, wherein said at least two color emitters emit in the visible light spectrum with respective emitted light beams being of different wavelengths, said emitters illuminated alternately and said detector comprising a black and white CCD, whereby visible color or infrared imaging of an eye's retina can be achieved using said black and white CCD.
 61. Apparatus for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 53, further comprising means for collection of light for said photodiode, said means comprising a cone-shaped optical guide, whereby said photodiode active area may be of small dimensions.
 62. Apparatus as in claim 47 further comprising opaque means for occluding the vision of one eye of a patient during examination of said patient's other eye.
 63. Apparatus as in claim 62 wherein said opaque means comprising a moveable shield.
 64. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye comprising: creating an optical light path by causing a primary emitter of a light beam having one emitter pupil conjugate lens and one relay lens to form a secondary retinal light source from said light beam on said eye's retina; disposing a photodetector comprising a light detector in said optical light path for measurement of at least a first retinal image and a second retinal image of said secondary retina light source as observed by said photodetector respectively at distal and proximal positions relative to said secondary retinal light source and generation of signals proportional to the measured images; disposing a field lens in said optical light path to compensate for asymmetric beam projections so that measurements are linear; and calculating from said signals said spherocylinder measurement of said eye.
 65. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 64 wherein optical properties of said eye modify and direct light rays in said optical light path such that the luminous irradiance comprising pixels impinging on said photodetector varies in response to said optical properties of said eye.
 66. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 65 further comprising from said measurement determining a correct prescription for the adjustment of said eye to emmetropic vision.
 67. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurements of an eye as in claim 65 further comprising disposing in said optical path two photodetectors and wherein said optical properties of said eye modify and direct light rays in said optical light path such that the luminous irradiance comprising pixels impinging on said two photodetectors varies in response to said optical properties of said eye.
 68. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 67 further comprising from said measurement determining a correct prescription for the adjustment of said eye to emmetropic vision.
 69. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurements of an eye as in claim 64 further comprising disposing in said optical path a beam splitter and a mirror assembly and wherein said optical properties of said eye modify and direct light rays in said optical light path such that the luminous irradiance comprising pixels impinging on said photodetector varies in response to said optical properties of said eye.
 70. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 69 further comprising from said measurement determining a correct prescription for the adjustment of said eye to emmetropic vision.
 71. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 64 further comprising spatially modulating said light beam.
 72. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 71 further comprising from said measurement determining a correct prescription for the adjustment of said eye to emmetropic vision.
 73. A method for obtaining spherocylinder measurement of an eye as in claim 64, further comprising disposing as part of said photodetector a detector pupil conjugate lens or a beam splitter and a mirror assembly. 